After completing his education he went to work in a bank for five years, before he joined Radio Telifís Éireann as a newsreader/announcer. For two years he did interviews and presenting documentary features before moving to the Light Entertainment department as a disc jockey and host of TV quiz and variety shows. He first worked for BBC Radio presenting Midday Spin[?] in the mid-1960s and, on the inauguration of BBC Radio 1 he presented Late Night Extra[?] for two years, commuting weekly from Dublin to London. In April 1972 he took over the breakfast show[?] on BBC Radio 2, where he has remained most of the time ever since, amassing an audience of up to six million. During this period he released his own version of "The Floral Dance", by popular request from listeners who enjoyed hearing him singing over the instrumental number one hit.